Manchester Vineyard Community Church - The History of Manchester Vineyard

Manchester Vineyard – A Brief History

The Manchester Vineyard began in 1999 as in informal young adult bible study held in a home that was part of Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Manchester, NH. Over its first year, the meeting outgrew the home with as many as 40 people crammed into a 16 x 20 family room and overflowing into the kitchen. In the fall of 2000, we moved to a former bar called the Silver Dollar Saloon on the west side of Manchester at the foot of Bridge Street. At that time, the group adopted the name “The Bridge”. The attendees were primarily in the 20's and were non-church attendees or affiliated with various churches in and around Manchester, NH.

We opened the Bridge coffeehouse and operated as a musical venue for bands and singers and songwriters every Friday night with a worship and bible discussion on Sundays that was often held in the Veterans Park in Manchester. After meeting weekly for a period of two years, the group grew in number with a core of people that felt that this was their church. In the fall of 2002, after a long time of prayer and discussions, a decision was made by the group, along with the support of local pastors, that the group had become a distinct church congregation with a mission, purpose and fellowship community. Thus a Sunday morning meeting began, and The Bridge Community Church was formed.

Through 2003, the church met in a home and a restaurant on Sundays. In 2004, the church leased its first dedicated facility on Lowell St. in Manchester, NH, and a year later moved to a larger location across the street. The church has maintained a commitment to remain an urban church in the city of Manchester and not to be located in the suburbs. Approximately one half of our congregation lives in the city of Manchester. We are committed to serving residents of the city of Manchester in word and though service.

In January of 2007, the church joined the Vineyard Community of Churches, which is a small denomination that is an association of similar churches. The church changed its corporate name to Manchester Vineyard Community Church in February 2007.

We are still enjoying and are being challenged by the amazing journey of following Jesus and learning how to be His people in the earth but most of all in Manchester, New Hampshire.